This is the episode that displays Nikita's first signs of greatness. It's a gripping and emotionally draining hour that puts our characters through the ringer and shows just how raw and grim Nikita can get.

Nikita and Owen's rapport is fantastic; both ruthless and cold after being royally screwed by Division. Devon Sawa and Maggie Q are just superb together and they make the episode's climax (Owen revealing that he killed Daniel) a superbly realized gem of a scene. As Maggie broke down for the first time in the series' run and Owen coldly recounted the details of the murder, Nikita cemented itself as a complex show and more than a run-of-the-mill action series.

And now the highlight of the hour: Alex. This hour really proved how Alex's storyline could be just as, if not more, engrossing than Nikita's arc. As a character, she's truly intriguing on practically every level. I loved the recruits getting kidnapped only for it turn out to be a Division exercise. It really demonstrated Alex's resilience and resourcefulness.

Moreover, an excellent dynamic was added to the Nikita-Alex relationship with the reveal that Nikki saved her protege after Division killed her parents. The flashbacks were just beautiful, particularly with Nikki revealing her guilt for Alex being sold into the sex trade and giving her money to start over. The final flashback with Alex joining Nikita's fight was also outstanding and goosebump-worthy.

Finally, I'm not entirely sure how the writers want us to feel about Michael and Alex at this point in the show. I don't want to spoil any future episodes for those who are watching for the first time, but it's not very clear if they're painting them in a romantic way or with a brother/sister dynamic. For the record, I'm definitely for the latter. There's no place for love triangles on this show.

Bits & Bullets:

- Love the whole sequence with Owen choking Nikita with his legs, her stabbing him, and then his slinging it straight at her. They're both so vicious.

- Watching Alex scream out in agony is beyond heartbreaking. And yet, Lyndsy Fonseca remains gorgeous through it all.

- It's captivating just how eager Amanda is to break Alex and discover the truth. It makes her such a compelling antagonist (and as I've said before, much scarier than Percy).

- Epic scene as Alex kills her captor and escapes the compound. What a badass.

- Maggie breaking down (with that haunting score no less) was heart-wrenching to watch.

6 comments:

Rebeca
said...

As a huge fan of the first series I decided to watch this show the minute I heard about it (I´m more a happy fan, not an angry one), but the first couple of episodes didn´t do it for me. I was going to watch the show for the sake of it until they aired this episode and I saw the huge potential and stay tuned for good.

Since my favorite character from LFN was Madeline I transfer my feelings for her to Amanda, who is just way too cool for words ;)Great review.

You're right Rebeca. Amanda is one of my most favorite characters on the show. She's gotten some of the most epic moments and Melinda Clarke is simply phenomenal! Was Madeline as awesome or even better?

Madeline was different. She was cold and controlled but she was not so bad shit crazy and psychopathic as Amanda. To me she looked like the wolf in sheep´s clothing while you see Amanda´s state of mind on first sight.

Spoiler season 2:

The Madeline (the same actress who played Madeline on LFN) you´ll see in season 2 is very much like LFN Madeline. If you know LFN you could imagine that they are the same characters and that Madeline just got promoted to oversight.

Wow, this was the episode that completely sold me on the show. This is my third time through this episode and it´s still badass.I only have a minor con but that doesn´t detract from this amazing episode. I wish that the agent that killed Alex was actually dead at the end, that´s all.But wow everything in here works. From Owen to Nikita (I love both of them and they have great chemistry), from Alex enduring the torture and escaping to Amanda. Melinda Clarke is amazing and owns the role. I also loved the flashbacks which cemented even further the friendship between Nikita and Alex which I love and is a big plus in the show.